20 Belgian Beers to Drink Before You Die

While the American craft-beer scene has changed the face of brewing worldwide with its sheer gumption and ingenuity, it’s important to remember the centuries-old traditions that laid the foundation for our own hops-cowboys to do their thing.

The Germans gave us lager and showed us the magic of brewing at its most pure, using nothing but barley, hops, water, and yeast to create a remarkable range of flavors. From the English, we learned subtly, the art of the session beer, and the beauty of cask-conditioning. But more than anyone else, it’s the Belgians who ignited the imagination that defines American craft. As Don Feinberg, who began importing Belgian beers into the U.S. in 1982, has told us in the past, “[Belgian beer] showed home brewers, craft brewers, and big brewers that it’s what’s in the bottle that counts, not some absurd adherence to an approved ingredient list or narrow stylistic guidelines.” Many of the tricks that our brewers have pushed to extremes—barrel-aging, bottle-fermenting, cranking up the alcohol content, flavoring with fruit, and so on—have their roots in the small, artisanal breweries of Belgium.

Looking through the best beers in the country, as well as the most exciting up-and-coming breweries right now, it’s impossible to miss the emphasis on Belgian styles, not to mention the trail of Belgian yeasts that threads through many of our most celebrated beers. And what’s especially cool is that the game is coming full circle, with American experimentation shaking things up back in Belgium and producing hybrids like Hop-Ruiter, a strong golden ale amped up with hops to appeal to the U.S. palate.

In short, exploring the Belgian classics is an essential part of being a beer nerd—to know where we’re at, you’ve got to know where we started. But with so many options, what to drink? To help you narrow the field, we gathered our panel of beer pros, including bar owners and writers, to pick their favorite Belgians that are available stateside.

Brouwerij Bockor N.V. Cuvee Des Jacobins Rouge

From: Bellegem-Kortrijk, Belgium
Style: Flanders Red Ale
ABV: 5.50%
Anthony Finley says: This is at the top of the list for Flanders Reds for me—it's sour and slightly funky, with beautiful tart cherry notes, along with a touch of woody/oaky dryness in the finish. With a nice balance of sweetness, fruit, and tartness, it's a great Flanders Red that's not overpriced or hard to track down.

Brouwerij Bosteels DeuS (Brut Des Flandres)

From: Buggenhout, Belgium
Style: Bière de Champagne/Bière Brut
ABV: 11.5%
Joshua M. Bernstein says: One of the more intriguing wine-beer hybrids is bière de champagne, or bière brut. As with champagne, the process incorporates lengthy multiple fermentations and disgorging yeast from the bottle’s neck. A leading example is DeuS (pronounced DAY-ews), which is fermented in Belgium but is fittingly finished in France’s Champagne region. The result is a Sahara-dry sparkler with a spoonful of citrus and funk.

Brouwerij ’t Gaverhopke ’t Gaverhopke Extra

From: Harelbeke-Stasegem, Belgium
Style: Strong Dark Ale
ABV: 12%
Joshua M. Bernstein says: In the tiny West Flanders town of Harelbeke you’ll find Brouwerij ’t Gaverhopke, which has brewed some of Belgium’s best beers since 1994. Among the standouts you’ll find the golden, fruity Singing Blond; grapefruity Bittersweet Symphony (brewed with the cultish Tired Hands); and Extra. The balanced, wine-like quadruple partners a dark fruit complexity with a light sourness.

Brouwerij De Ranke XX Bitter

From: Wevelgem, Belgium
Style: Blonde/Belgian IPA
ABV: 6.20%
Mike Lovullo says: Founded by two good friends, Nino Bacelle and Guido Devos, De Ranke is located at the turn-of-the-century Deca Brewery in West Falnders. This 6.2% Blonde Ale is one of the hoppiest beers from Belgium and has been a real trendsetter for the current comeback of bitter ales in Belgium. Packed with Brewer's Gold and Hallertau hops for bitterness, the brew hits you in the middle with a barnyard Brettanomyces character not unlike that of Orval.

Duvel Tripel Hop

From: Breendonk-Puurs, Belgium
Style: Belgian IPA
ABV: 9.5%
Ale Sharpton says: Duvel already gets suds love throughout the U.S, but when celebrated brewmaster Hedwig Neventhey decided to enhance aromas and spice up this brew by dry-hopping with a third hop (it rotates annually), he created one of the most coveted Belgian IPAs worldwide. The 2013 batch is blessed with the highly sought Sorachi Ace hop, direct from Japan.

Brouwerij De Dolle Oerbier Reserva

From: Esen, Belgium
Style: Flanders Oud Bruin
ABV: 13%
Mike Lovullo says: This version of De Dolle Oerbier comes in at 13%-ABV and spends 18 months in Bordeaux wine casks. The result is a strong ale with smoky and nutty flavors similar to those found in sherry. Despite its high ABV, it's not as boozy as you would think.

Brasserie Dupont Saison Dupont

From: Tourpes, Belgium
Style: Saison
ABV: 6.5%
John Holl says: If it wasn't the first saison you had, it's almost certainly the one that made you appreciate the style. Dry with floral notes of citrus, bread, and fruits, it's immediately recognizable by its 750ml green bottle, with the yellow and white check pattered label. The effervescent beer is at once nourishing and refreshing—a popped cork brings forth a hazy straw yellow ale with a fluffy white head that almost begs to be scooped with a finger. As brewers around the world try new things with saison, adding new ingredients and whatnot, it's imperative to take time and appreciate the classic.

Brasserie Cantillon Fou' Foune

From: Anderlecht, Belgium
Style: Lambic
ABV: 5%
Mike Lovullo says: From the historic Cantillon brewery, which dates back to 1900 in Brussels, Fou' foune is an lambic aged with apricots. The apricots are poured into the lambic casks, where they sit for three to four months before the beer is bottled. Not being much of a fruit beer fan, I like that this one has bright and funky acidity without being sweet.

Brouwerij Kerkom Bink Bruin

From: Kerkom-Sint Truiden, Belgium
Style: Belgian Dark Ale
ABV: 5.5%
Mike Lovullo says: This 5.5%-ABV farmhouse ale has all of the malty nuttiness of a typical Belgian brown ale, without the sweet astringency. It starts malty and fruity, but ends hoppy and dry, with a beautiful earthiness typical of saisons.

Brouwerij De Ranke Noir De Dottignies

From: Wevelgem, Belgium
Style: Strong Dark Ale
ABV: 9%
Anthony Finley says: This is a really nice Belgian Dark Strong Ale. I like De Ranke's whole lineup, but this is one of the standouts. It's rich in flavor without being to heavy or boozy. Every sip holds something different for the palate—it's got subtle notes of chocolate, caramel, roasted malt, dark fruit, and molasses notes. They're accompanied by some spice, and some earthy and dry yeasty notes on the finish. It's complex, delicious, and I still can't pronounce the last part of the name properly.

Brasserie de la Senne Taras Boulba

From: Brussels, Belgium
Style: Belgian Pale Ale
ABV: 4.5%
Joshua M. Bernstein says: When you think of Belgian beer, puckering gueuzes, potent tripels and rich dubbels typically come to mind. However, one of our favorite beers is this pale ale that rivals—and often bests—anything brewed in America. The hazy-yellow Taras Boulba (it references a story by Russian writer Nikolai Gogol) drinks bright and citrusy, bursting with flavors of fresh-cut grass and spicy yeast. At just 4.5%-ABV, you can drink Taras 'til the cows come home.
David Brodrick says: This beer was one of the first session beers to hit the market that had a lot of flavor—it has an earthy, spicy quality that the Belgians really seem to nail better than anyone else. It also has great hop character, and it's incredibly refreshing.

Brouwerij Het Anker Cuvée Van De Keizer Blauw

From: Mechelen, Belgium
Style: Strong Dark Ale
ABV: 11%
Julian Kurland says: Brewed once a year to celebrate the birthday of Charles the 5th, this is one of my favorite Belgian beers. Robust and extremely complex, the nose is redolent with aromas of figs, dark candi sugar, and dark fruits. The high alcohol content (10% in 2012) comes through ever so slightly, adding a sweet alcoholic bite to taste of caramel, plum, and fig. What I love most about this beer is that it is extremely complex, yet incredibly balanced. Each flavor melds together perfectly. Definitely a beer that gets better with age, but damn delicious any time you find it.

KleinBrouwerij De Glazen Toren Saison D'Erpe Mere

From: Erpe-Mere, Belgium
Style: Saison
ABV: 6.9%
Anthony Finley says: Light, refreshing, flavorful, and deceptive at 6.9%-ABV—this has all the makings of a great saison. It's not as light in alcohol as many others, but it's pretty damn quaffable. You get some nice bready and honey notes from the malts, followed by subtle lemony and earthy notes. It finishes with slightly herbal, bitter, and dry notes. Give a try to this one if come across it—it's a nice break from the other saisons you may have gotten too comfortable with.

Orval Trappist Ale

From: Villers-devant-Orval, Belgium
Style: Belgian Pale Ale
ABV: 6.2%
Mike Lovullo says: This extremely distinct ale has been brewed in the Orval Abbey since 1931. At 6.9%-ABV, the beer is dry-hopped and goes through a fermentation with Brettanomyces, making it bitter with a refreshingly bright acidity to it. Unlike all the other Trappist breweries, Orval makes only one beer for commercial consumption.

Brouwerij Dilewyns Vicaris Tripel Gueuze

From: Grembergen, Belgium
Style: Tripel
ABV: 7%
Joshua M. Bernstein says: In a country filled with brewing stars, one of Belgium’s brightest new lights is Brouwerij Dilewyns’ Anne-Catherine Dileywns. Since the twenty-something founded her family-owned brewery in 2011 (her homebrewing dad, Vincent, contributed recipes), she has garnered accolades for her rich, creamy Vicaris Generaal, spiced Vicaris Winter, and—most notably—the spicy and floral Vicaris Tripel.
Julian Kurland says: An unlikely mashup of a tripel and a gueuze, this beer is as complex as is it is delicious. The story goes that at a beer festival, cups containing Vicaris Tripel and Girardin Gueuze were accidentally mixed. The result was so delicious that Vicaris Tripel Gueuze was created. The sweetness of the tripel matches perfectly with the dry, tartness of the gueuze. The bright carbonation allows for it to be refreshing and palate-cleansing with ever sip. I love serving this beer with charcuterie and pork, as the sweetness from the tripel matches perfectly with the saltiness of cured ham, while the lemony zest from the gueuze is wonderfully cleansing for the next bite.

Westmalle Tripel

From: Malle, Belgium
Style: Tripel
ABV: 9.5%
David Brodrick says: Westmalle Tripel has been one of my favorite Belgian beers ever since I first tasted it. This beer has so much going on, yet it remains incredibly drinkable. I think that's one of the definitions of greatness. And the alcohol is barely noticeable.
Mike Lovullo says: Considered the quintessential Belgian Tripel, this 9.5%-ABV ale has been brewed at the Westmalle Abbey since 1934. It has a hazy orange/blonde color with peach and orange fruity esters from the brewery's distinctive yeast. Even though it has a sweetness from the yeast, it finishes bitter, and drier than many Belgian tripels out there.

Brouwerij St. Bernardus NV St. Bernardus Abt 12

From: Watou, Belgium
Style: Quadrupel
ABV: 10%
Ale Sharpton says: This silky smooth and deceptively potent monster is the epitome of a quad, with perfectly balanced flavors of toffee, plum, chocolate, and coriander, as well as a warming sherry-like finish. There’s no other beer spoken of more commonly in the same sentence as the legendary Westvleteren 12 (a.k.a. “Westy”) than this Belgian masterpiece. It’s a lot less of a pain in the ass to buy, too.

Brasserie de Cazeau Saison Cazeau

From: Templeuve, Belgium
Style: Saison
ABV: 4.8%
Joshua M. Bernstein says: In Belgium, you can’t throw a rock without hitting a saison, that rustic farmhouse ale that originally slaked the thirst of toiling farmhands. Naturally, one of my favorites hails from this farmstead that first brewed beer in the 18th century. Though brewing halted in 1969, beer-making resumed in 2004. Try the hazy, lake-smooth Saison Cazeau, which balances bitterness with an elderflower-supplied floral bouquet.

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